Learn to live
by Child of Insanity
Summary: Pretty pathetic title, but the actual fics better. Its basically Draco growing up, until when it comes to graduation time. Its got h/d slash at the end.


A/N: This is a sort of angsty/romancey/slash fic thingy. Its basically Draco being born till graduation, squished so its short.

A/N: This is a sort of angsty/romancey/slash fic thingy. Its basically Draco being born till graduation, squished so its short.

A child is born. He comes into the world silent, as if somehow aware that he must make a good impression. Cold hands pick him up, bringing him level with an even colder face. The man holding him smiles coldly, calculatingly.

Draco' he whispers, then Our Lord will be pleased, you shall serve him well'

And the baby cries

The boy, Draco, is older now, though not by much. He reaches out to hug his father only to be pushed away and told in that cold voice he has grown so used to hearing that it is forbidden for a Malfoy to show emotion of any kind. The man walks out leaving him alone.

And a small child cries

At the age of seven the boy has seen things more horrific than most adults. He has seen father torture and kill people and answer when asked why he did it that he was simply bored. He has heard his mother screaming out at night for his father to stop as he lies shivering in his bead with more that just cold, knowing inside that one day his father will get bored with his mother and come for him. Fear rules his life now. Fear of the cruel bastard that he is forced to call father.

And still he cries

He watches his father demonstrate the Crucatious curse on a beetle, watches as the pleasure flashes across his father's face as the beetle writhes in pain, watches the flash of green light as his father ends the beetle's existence. Tears start to form in his eyes but he is beyond shedding them now. He has forgotten how to cry, forgotten how to show any emotion at all. Just as his father taught him. All except one.

And he learns to hate

Eleven now, and on the train to that magical place called Hogwarts. Where he will be safe from his father for a time. Accompanied by to of his father's "friends" children, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, he explores the compartments of the train. Stopping at the one that holds the boy who he met at Madame Malkin's, the one that he now knows is destined to be killed by Voldemort. He walks in, arrogance seeping from every part of him. He wants to befriend this boy, they have something in common after all, but he doesn't know how. His father doesn't see the need for friends, only for associates, so he never bothered to teach his son how to make any. His offer of friendship is rejected and he leaves, his last hope shattered.

And the child inside him dies

Time passess, the child is gone, replaced with a boy of ice. Cold inside and out, not letting his feelings show at all. Then one night his father comes to his room, bored of his mother just like the child that was predicted. Lucius, he can no longer call him father not when he knows what is about to happen to him, whispers to the Draco about the death of Cedric Diggory being only the start of the Dark Lord's return to power. He grows careless as he is overcome by the lust for his son's body revealing many of the Dark Lord's plans, not realising that by doing so he has given Draco the incentive he needed to help put a stop to the Dark Lord's rise. He thinks about until his father leaves and then falls into a fitfull sleep, thinking of better days.

And he dreams

When school starts, he once again approaches Harry, seeking help for what he must do. This time their meeting is different, Harry is still suffering from the guilt he feels over the death of Cedric Diggory, and Draco helps him to realise that it wasn't his fault, holding Harry as he cried and helping come back to himself. Their meeting helped Draco to realise that there was something more that he could do to help other that just spy on his father. And so a love of sorts was formed between the two enemies and together they went hand in hand to Dumbledore, lending eachother support for what was to come.

And he learns to hope

Two years have passed and Voldemort is dead. Draco must decide what he wants to do after graduation. The graduation ball comes, and as he dances with Harry, Draco realises what he wants. Before he can say anything though, Harry is called up to make his speech as headboy. He talks about Voldemort's downfall, the friends that have been lost and the hope for the future. Then as everyone begins to clap, he holds up his hand for silence and says There's just one more person I'd like to thank' he turned to look over to where Draco was standing I wouldn't have made it through the past two years without him and it was thanks to him that it was possible for us to defeat Voldemort. Draco, will you marry me?'

Draco's world spins, this is what he wants, what he's been dreaming of for the past year. He walks slowly towards Harry and takes him in his arms.

Yes'

And for the first time in his life he feels truly complete.


End file.
